1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to eyewear and eyeglasses and a method of using said eyewear and eyeglasses, which provide a lens frame removably attached to an eyewear platform with magnets or other attachment devices. By allowing removable attachment of the lens frame to an eyewear platform, the user will be able to maximize his or her ability to change lenses depending on the need and/or situation.
2. Background Information
Prior to the present invention, auxiliary eyewear attachments, which connect to primary or conventional eyeglasses with magnets or clips, allow the user to convert a pair of conventional eyeglasses to sunglasses and to avoid the need for an additional pair of prescription sunglasses. This auxiliary eyewear can also be used to change the prescription of the lenses on the primary eyewear. Many current designs attach auxiliary eyewear using magnets or clips at various locations on a pair of conventional or primary eyeglasses.
However, there are several disadvantages to mounting an auxiliary set of lenses to conventional eyeglasses, which already have their own set of lenses. First, there is the additional and extra weight of the auxiliary lenses. Even with the advent of plastic lenses, the additional weight of another frame and another set of lenses may distract and cause some irritation to the user.
Second, since there are two sets of lenses, having two sets of lenses so close to one another can cause a glare or reflection. This reflection or glare can be quite annoying and can partly defeat the use of sunglasses to reduce glare and to improve the sight of the user.
Third, the space or separation between the two lenses may cause some distraction to the field of vision of the user. Many current styles of sunglasses have smaller or narrow lenses. Because the field of vision through these lenses is smaller than through larger lenses, when auxiliary lenses are attached to the primary or conventional eyewear, the user may see the difference between the two sets of lenses. This difference can be quite distracting to the user.
Fourth, people, who do not require prescription glasses, would not practically use these current auxiliary eyewear attachments without glasses. They would not be able to take advantage of the ability to switch the color of their sunglasses.
The claimed invention avoids the above problems and provides significant advantages with a new apparatus and method for attaching a removable lens frame to an eyewear platform. In the applicant""s invention, the lenses themselves are removable from the eyewear platform so that the user can easily change lenses and only needs to wear only one set of lenses at a time. By only using one set of lenses in this eyewear, there is reduced weight, no glare or reflection between lenses, and no distraction in the field of vision with the applicant""s invention. In addition, since there is only one set of lenses, it is easier for the user to keep these lenses clean. Further, by using the same eyewear platform as a base to attach different lenses, the user is able to employ one eyewear apparatus that allows for a multiple and different types of lenses and that can be changed easily and quickly. This instant eyewear apparatus is also comfortable to wear and easy to use. Keeping a small case with different types of lenses is easier to transport than several boxes of different eyewear. Finally, instead of having several different pairs of conventional glasses, the user may have substantial savings in cost by having different sets of lenses for one eyewear platform.
This invention allows the user to maximize the different kinds of eyewear available according to his or her need. For example, the user can easily change from reading lenses for fine print to sunglasses. Also, people, who do not need prescription lenses, can change the color of their sunglasses depending on their particular need or situation. For example, the user may require yellow lenses for driving in the mountains, but gray lenses for fishing or boating on a bright sunny day.
Also, this invention allows for effective and easy replacement of safety glasses and eyewear. By allowing for removable attachment of a lens frame with safety lenses, it is possible for the user to easily wear and to change safety lenses after these lenses become dirty, scratched, or broken. Because only the lens frame is being replaced, the user will save money in simply replacing this lens frame instead of the entire safety eyewear.
In addition, this eyewear apparatus also provides the ability to change lenses quickly but also provides a stable and effective attachment to provide effective resistance to the lens frame from becoming involuntarily detached from the eyewear platform.
From the preceding descriptions, it is apparent that the devices currently being used have significant disadvantages or limitations. Thus, important aspects of the technology used in the field of invention remain amenable to useful refinement.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide eyewear and a method that provides a lens frame removably attached to an eyewear platform with magnets, clips, snaps, clasps, hooks or other attachment devices that effectively prevent the removable lens frame from becoming involuntarily detached from the eyeglass platform. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the removable lens frame is attached to the eyewear platform by at least one magnet.
In other embodiments of the invention, the removable lens frame can be connected to the eyewear platform with non-magnetic attachments. Also, the lens frame can be removably connected to the eyewear platform with a combination of magnetic and nonmagnetic attachments.
In another embodiment of the invention, magnets on the face of the lens removably connect to the back of the eyewear platform such that the lenses sit behind the bridge portion of the eyewear platform.
The present invention introduces such refinement. In its preferred embodiments, the present invention has several aspects or facets that can be used independently, although they are preferably employed together to optimize their benefits. All of the foregoing operational principles and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated upon consideration of the following detailed description, with reference to the appended drawings.